May is Chip Your Pet Month!
After spaying or neutering, which is the best things you can do for your pet, next comes microchipping your pet.
Why, you ask? Because 38% of microchipped pets are reunited with their owners versus 2% of animals who are not. Which is huge when you’ve lost your pet.
Mom says she repeatedly sees lost cats and dogs posted on the social media platforms every day and it makes her very upset for the pets and the owners.
She knows the pain as many decades ago, one of her cats escaped out of her summer rental in the Hamptons on Sunday night as she was leaving to return to NYC. Thankfully, the cat was found 36 hours later near the house and that story ended well. Not all lost pet stories do!
It has become our mission to strongly encourage all pet owners to get their pets microchipped if they are not already.
Consider this: Microchipping is the only permanent form of identification.
Collars can break and fall off and ID tags can get lost. Tattoos fade over time and can become illegible. When your pet is microchipped, it has the best chance of being returned to you if lost.
Let’s talk about the cost!
Mom’s done the research online and there are several vets within 10 miles of our home who advertise “low-cost” veterinary services. Check your local area and neighboring suburbs, and we are confident that you will find a vet who will work with you on the cost. Many vets will add the microchip for a small fee when done with the spay/neuter services.
The average prices seem to be around $40 - $50 though when Beau and I got our chips, mom paid $80. Now she has heard prices as low as $10 - $20.
Some municipalities offer “free spay/neuter” events during the year for town residents and microchipping is usually offered as well. By the way, your pet does not have to be under anesthesia to get microchipped, as the procedure is similar to the pet getting a vaccine injection. Check with your town and see if they have a similar program.
Mom says that she is hearing from many of the rescue groups that the adoptable kitties are spayed/neutered, vaccinated AND microchipped! That’s a good thing!
Be sure to check if you are considering adopting from a rescue group or shelter if the animal is microchipped too.
Please understand that there is an adoption fee when you adopt a cat or dog from a shelter or rescue group because the vet bills need to be covered as the rescue groups simply do not have the funding to give away pets for free after getting them fully vetted.
Ultimately it is a small price to pay for a lifetime of unconditional love!
Don’t forget to update your information with your vet and the microchip company if/when you move or you get a new phone number. This is major, think about it, what’s the point of the chip if they can’t find YOU after they locate your pet?
Lastly, microchips technically last a lifetime so it is important for you to have your vet scan your pet every checkup to be sure that the microchip is present and working. Be sure the vet scans the entire pet as chips can migrate and drift away from the injection site between the shoulder blades.
Chips have been found as far away as down one of the back paws!
So take it from me Laszlo, and get your pets microchipped. You will be happy you did if your cat or dog gets lost!